Welcome to MedaBounty Games
by Rathje
Summary: /Romance. Medabots, YuGiOh, Love Hina, Oh! My Goddess!, Cowboy Bebop, and my own Welcome to Baka Games. What happens when the Rubberrobo gang gets a few new members...like Joey Wheeler? R&R please. I am dedicating this to Alyee! COMPLETE
1. Bakura? Shinobu?

Author's Disclaimer: I do not own Medabots, Yu-Gi-Oh, Cowboy Bebop, Love Hina, and Oh My Goddess. I do own Welcome to Baka Games and all related items.  
  
Author's Note: The plot was completely designed and organized by me. There are no co-author's, I did all the work. This is set where all characters enlisted in school are 15, grade ten, except for Shinobu from Love Hina; she's one year younger, and in grade nine.  
  
Ikki sighed gloomily as his teacher continued to introduce the line of new students. The last three days had been just the same. Ikki did remember the new kids from the first day; Keitaro, Narusegawa, Kitsune, Mutsumi, Kanako, and Motoko. He had also noticed a young girl around school named Shinobu that had been in another class. She was a year younger than Ikki.  
  
Ikki tried to memorize the student's names. 'Let's see,' he thought, 'The short one is named Yugi Moto. The one with poofy blond hair is Joey. The one with the weird brown hair is Tristan. The one with the white-ish long hair is Bakura. The girl with brown hair is Tea. The girl with blond hair is Mai. And the tall one with neat brown hair is Seto Kaiba.'  
  
Ikki thought back to the day before. That was the largest group. There was one guy named Todd. He had brought his Medabot, Ragnarock, a cat-type Medabot with a Phoenix medal.  
  
"Now then," Ikki barely heard his teacher's voice, "It's lunch, so feel free to leave your seats."  
  
The students rushed to grab their lunches and head to the cafeteria, or their money to buy a lunch. Ikki looked back, noticing Bakura wasn't really hanging out with anyone.  
  
"Ikki! Hurry up!" Erika called.  
  
"Coming!" Ikki yelled back, running down the halls, barely missing the Principal.  
  
Bakura lifted his backpack onto his shoulders and left the classroom. Eyes closed, he nearly walked straight into a young girl with blue hair.  
  
"Sorry," Bakura apologized, "I wasn't watching where I was going."  
  
The girl blushed, "It's okay, I was just standing here anyway, I wasn't moving."  
  
"I'm Bakura," Bakura introduced himself.  
  
"My name's Shinobu," she answered, "are you in this class?"  
  
"Yeah," Bakura nodded.  
  
Shinobu smiled, "I'm in a class down the hall. I'm grade nine."  
  
"I'm a grade ten," Bakura faltered for a moment, "Just out of curiosity, are you eating lunch with anyone?"  
  
"No."  
  
Bakura started to turn slightly pink, "I was just wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me. I'm kind of new here, and I don't have many friends."  
  
Shinobu's smile broadened slightly, "I'm new, too."  
  
Bakura's eyes widened at the coincidence.  
  
"Do you want to have lunch with me?" Bakura repeated, turning a little redder.  
  
"I'd like to," Shinobu started, "but I'm afraid in all of the confusion of getting ready for school, I forgot my lunch."  
  
Bakura stuck his hand in his pocket, removing a few coins and one paper bill. After quickly counting the money, he said, "I have enough money for both of us to have a small lunch. I don't eat much anyway."  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
Bakura sighed inwardly. Shinobu looked confused at the look of relief on his face. Bakura suddenly became aware of himself, blinked a few times, and returned to his previous expression.  
  
"So. . ." Shinobu said quite quietly, "do you want to go down to the cafeteria?"  
  
Bakura nodded. The two walked off. Behind them, Keitaro Urashima fell through the ceiling after much flying through the air. His friend Keichii helped him up and together they stumbled to the first-aid room.  
  
~  
  
Bakura and Shinobu entered the cafeteria. It was madness. Students were standing around the perimeter, with baited breath. The Principal was holding off teachers opposed to the violence. Gabriel Fitzgerald stood opposite his rival, Timothy, holding his Medawatch up.  
  
"Transport, Medabot!" both shouted.  
  
Before them appeared to Medabots. One stood taller than Shinobu. It was Gladiator.  
  
Gladiator: Type: Weapon, Medafighter: Timothy, Specialty: Morning Star.  
  
Gladiator was entirely sooty black. Its right arm wielded a massive morning star. Its left arm held a large shield.  
  
Gabriel's Medabot was Demon Slayer. A sword for a right arm, and a gun for the left.  
  
Demon Slayer: Type: Weapon, Medafighter: Gabriel, Specialty: Ailment Disrupter.  
  
Demon Slayer, still shorter than Gladiator, was quite tall for a Medabot. With a long sword in its right arm, a form of wide-range gun in the left, and the deep brown cloak thrown over its body it stood before Gabriel, his face stolid with confidence.  
  
Gabriel removed the Weapon-type medal from his Medawatch and carefully placed it in Demon Slayer. Timothy, after tossing his Devil medal in the air and catching it, snapped it into his Gladiator.  
  
A tall kid with grey hair stepped forward, throwing the baseball cap, sunglasses, and other accessories away to reveal Mr. Referee, "Medabots ready? Robattle!!!"  
  
Author's Note: Cue stereotypical Medabots fighting music  
  
Gladiator dashed forward. Demon Slayer stood perfectly still. As Gladiator neared his opponent, the morning star flew into the air, preparing to strike.  
  
"He'll be crushed!" Shinobu gasped.  
  
"I wouldn't be too sure. . ." Bakura muttered quietly.  
  
As the morning star fell to the ground, it struck nothing but the carpeted floor. Demon Slayer rolled to the side, and was now coming at Gladiator with an upward slash.  
  
Timothy bit his lip, "Block it, Gladiator!"  
  
Gladiator's shield flew forward to take the blow. Gabriel grinned to himself. His eyes laughed, but his face remained frozen.  
  
"Predictable, Tim," Gabriel retorted, "Demon Slayer, Ailment Disrupter!"  
  
The gun raised to meet the shield. It fired, blowing the shield backward, the sword connecting to Gladiator's right leg.  
  
Terror Force: 20% Damage  
  
Gladiator retaliated with his Morning Star. As the morning star came at Demon Slayer, who stood unflinching, Gladiator's shield blocked the blow.  
  
"What!?!" Timothy cried.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Timothy" Gabriel laughed, "I thought you knew the effects of my Ailment Disrupter."  
  
"It's a powerful tool," Bakura explained to Shinobu, "The Ailment Disrupter allows Gabriel to use any of his opponent's special abilities, such as blocking attacks, against them. Unfortunately, it leaves him with only one weapon."  
  
Shinobu nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
War Shield: 90% Damage, overload imminent  
  
"That's it!" Timothy shouted.  
  
The entire cafeteria became silent. The stared at Timothy. Gladiator and Demon Slayer stood, feet separating the two.  
  
"What's it?" Gabriel asked.  
  
"Gladiator!" Timothy yelled into his Medawatch, "Morning Light!"  
  
Gladiator's eyes gleamed red. Its left arm dulled as it function ceased.  
  
War Shield: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
Gladiator leapt forward, flailing its morning star. Demon Slayer took a few steps back, awaiting Gabriel's orders.  
  
"Wait a second," Gabriel murmured, "Let's see what he's planning. . ."  
  
Gladiator's morning star came down five feet away from its target. Just as it was about to strike the carpet, it shot from the right arm, heading directly for Demon Slayer.  
  
"Gabriel!" Demon Slayer cried, "What do I do?"  
  
"Uh. . ." Gabriel wracked his brain, "Run!"  
  
It was too late. The morning star struck Demon Slayer, sending him sailing, landing before Mr. Referee. Gabriel took a step forward, anguish across his face. Timothy stood across the cafeteria, laughing hysterically.  
  
All parts: 99% Damage, overload imminent  
  
"A gutsy move," Bakura said to Shinobu as Gladiator fell to the ground, "By sacrificing all but the head part of Gladiator, Timothy was able to fire the morning star as a heat seeking missile."  
  
Shinobu gasped, placing both hands on her mouth.  
  
Terror Force: 100% Damage, function ceased. Morning Star: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
Demon Slayer stumbled to its feet. As it wobbled back and forth, Gabriel attempted to save his Medaparts.  
  
"Demon Slayer," Gabriel stuttered, "Just try one more attack if you can. He can't move, so you have a free shot before you overload. Just walk up and take a swing!"  
  
Demon Slayer managed to take a few steps forward before falling to its knees. Gabriel flinched, seeing it in pain.  
  
"Must. . .fight. . ." Demon Slayer muttered, ". . .Gabriel's. . .relying. . .on. . .me. . ."  
  
In one final attack, Demon Slayer fell forward, striking Gladiator on the head with its sword. As both Medabots dulled, Mr. Referee stepped forward.  
  
"Function ceased! The winner is. . ." Mr. Referee paused, looking back and forth at both Medabots, "it is. . .a draw!"  
  
Timothy fell to his knees in anger, "Just a moment longer and I would've had him! Couldn't I have been just another foot away!"  
  
"Good fight, Tim."  
  
Timothy looked up to see Gabriel, hand outstretched. Timothy's eyes narrowed. Taking his Medabot with him, he stalked down the hallway, leaving Gabriel standing in the center of the cafeteria.  
  
"He doesn't seem too friendly. . ." Bakura whispered.  
  
~  
  
"Keiichi!" a girl's voice called down the hall.  
  
Keiichi turned, then a smile crossed his face, "Belldandy!"  
  
The ran to each other. They quickly embraced one another. After a moment, Belldandy stepped back, looking up at Keiichi's bright eyes.  
  
"How was your day?"  
  
Keiichi shrugged, "Lunch was interesting."  
  
Belldandy smiled, thinking back to the Robattle, "Yes. I still think you could've won if you were in it."  
  
Keiichi laughed a little to himself inwardly and smiled, "Motor-wheel is no- where near battle-ready."  
  
"Hey!" a voice from Keiichi's Medawatch shouted.  
  
"Sorry, Motor-wheel, but with Urd always trying to 'fix' you, it's gonna take a while before I can replace your wheels," Keiichi explained.  
  
"Um. . .excuse me, Keiichi," a thin kid with black hair interrupted, "I couldn't help overhearing about your Medabot."  
  
"Yeah, so?" Keiichi asked, dumbfounded.  
  
"Do you even know who I am?"  
  
". . .no. . ." Keiichi answered slowly.  
  
"I'm Spyke, I'm in your class," the kid introduced himself, "I'm pretty good at fixing Medabots, I might be able to help you."  
  
"That's not what I need help with," Keiichi explained, "I can fix my Motor- wheel just fine, it's one of my friends that I need help with. She keeps on 'accidentally' breaking my Medabot."  
  
"I see," Spyke pondered, "Sorry, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. . ."  
  
"Well that was friendly," Keiichi stated as Spyke ran down the hall to catch up with two of his friends.  
  
~  
  
He looked down at the group photograph and grinned malevolently. At least one of them must be evil. 'This'll be easier than I thought. . .' Seaslug cackled to himself, preparing to meet with one of the people.  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: I am completely aware this is chaos. I tried to make everything unique, but I don't think I pulled it off. . .it'll get interesting in the next chapter! I promise. . .I hope, anyway. . . 


	2. The evils of leaving the heads on Tuna

"Hey! Kid!"  
  
Narusegawa stopped walked and turned around. A man was running after her down the street, waving his left arm. His straight black hair was quite smooth, except for one strand that shot up and forward. He wore a cheap suit and glasses.  
  
"May I help you?" Narusegawa asked curiously.  
  
"Yes," the man answered, "My name is Tunahead. I am from. . .er. . .Rubber Noodles, a fast food franchise."  
  
"And?"  
  
"We need employees," Tunahead explained, "and you just passed our store, so I thought I might ask you."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Tunahead," Narusegawa apologized, "but I don't have enough time to work at Rubber Noodles."  
  
"I see. . ." Tunahead sighed, "do you know anyone who might be?"  
  
Narusegawa frowned and shook her head. Tunahead moaned, turned, and waved as he sulked his way down the street.  
  
"What an odd man. . ." Narusegawa whispered to herself.  
  
~  
  
"Keitaro?" Shinobu asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, Shinobu?" Keitaro replied.  
  
"Are we doing anything tonight?"  
  
Shinobu was referring to the family. For Keitaro had volunteered her room and board after her parents moved away. Shinobu had been accepted by the 'family', which was Keitaro, Kanako, and Aunt Haruka (who preferred to just be called Haruka). Keitaro and Kanako were in the same class, but (as mentioned earlier) Shinobu was a year younger. Shinobu had one friend she met quite often, Kaolla, but now she was going to another nearby school.  
  
"No, Shinobu," Keitaro answered, sitting down on a chair, then looking out the apartment window, "Any reason why?"  
  
Shinobu blushed, "Bakura and I were. . .going to. . .go out. . .somewhere. . ."  
  
"Bakura. . ." Keitaro muttered out loud, "um. . .shy. . .long, white hair. . .accent. . .that Bakura?"  
  
"Yes," Shinobu smiled.  
  
"Ah, yeah, I know him. He's in my class," Keitaro said nonchalantly, looking up from the window, "He's a nice guy."  
  
~  
  
"Excuse me, madam," a man dressed in a cheap suit said, "but I represent Rubber Noodles. I would like to speak to your son, if you don't mind."  
  
"Not at all," Mrs. Trent answered, smiling, "are you a friend of Nathan?"  
  
'Ah, his name's Nathan,' the man thought, "No, I would like to speak to him about a possible job opening."  
  
"Hmm," Mrs. Trent said to herself as she looked for Nathan, "I don't remember Nathan saying anything about a job. . ."  
  
After a moment, Nathan arrived at the door. Beside him stood a Magician- type Medabot.  
  
"Hi, what can I do for you?" Nathan asked, leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"I'm from Rubber Noodles," the man explained, "How would you like a job making noodles?"  
  
Nathan was stunned by the stupidity of the situation, "Um. . .no thanks. Anything else?"  
  
"No," the man answered, "I'll be on my way now. . ."  
  
Nathan shook his head as he closed the door, "Door-to-door noodle making recruiter, what'll they think of next. . ."  
  
~  
  
Shinobu jumped as the doorbell rang. Keitaro stood, leaving his dutiful window. He yawned and stretched his weary arms on his way to the door. He swung the door open gently, looking out through scratched glasses.  
  
"Hey, Bakura," Keitaro greeted.  
  
"Keitaro?" Bakura asked, a little shocked, "You live here? Am I at the right house?"  
  
"Yeah," Keitaro answered, yawning again, "Shinobu will be here in a minute. Just a second."  
  
Keitaro was about to turn to leave when Bakura stopped him, "If it's not intruding, would you mind explaining this to me?"  
  
"Sure," Keitaro agreed, "a while ago, Shinobu's parents were planning on moving. She didn't want to leave, so I offered her a room at our house with Kanako, Aunt Haruka, and me."  
  
Bakura nodded, "Oh, I see. Kanako's here, too?"  
  
"Yeah, she's me adopted sister," Keitaro explained.  
  
"Oh, thank you."  
  
Keitaro walked down the hallway to find Shinobu, leaving Bakura standing at the door. He knocked on her door, entering after hearing Shinobu's answer.  
  
Shinobu sat on her bed, talking to her Medabot, Sailor-Twin. They looked up to see Keitaro, the sun glimmering on his glasses.  
  
"Shinobu," Keitaro called, "Bakura's here."  
  
Shinobu blushed and stood up. Keitaro stepped to the side as Shinobu reached the door to her room. She faltered for a moment.  
  
"How long has he been waiting?" Shinobu asked desperately.  
  
"Not very long," Keitaro answered, "maybe a minute or two."  
  
"Okay," Shinobu replied, "thank you, sempai."  
  
Keitaro smiled, "Anytime."  
  
Shinobu took a deep breath and turned the corner, looking into Bakura's soft eyes. Seeing Shinobu turn several shades redder, Bakura revealed from behind his back a single red rose. Bakura, arms outstretched, handed the rose the Shinobu. Shinobu's eyes closed, and she lowered her head slowly.  
  
"Are you alright?" Bakura asked cautiously.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine," Shinobu answered, "It's just. . .the rose is so beautiful, and I've never had such nice flowers before."  
  
Bakura smiled meekly, "Oh. . .I just thought that it was the least I could do. After all, you actually listened to me jabber on about Gabriel and Timothy's Medabots during the Robattle. I had to say thank you somehow."  
  
"But I like listening to you," Shinobu replied softly.  
  
"You know," Keitaro cut in, standing next to Sailor-Twin, "you can leave anytime now."  
  
Bakura looked up at Keitaro, "You're still hanging around?"  
  
"That must be the boldest thing I've ever heard you say, Bakura," Keitaro joked, "I'll see you two later."  
  
Keitaro relieved Shinobu of the rose, placing it in a vase, and pushed the two outside, closing the door. Shinobu and Bakura stood in the hallway, staring at the closed door.  
  
"That was. . .odd. . ." Bakura stated.  
  
"To put it lightly," Shinobu added.  
  
~  
  
"Excuse me, sir," the man called, somehow catching up to a blond-haired kid on a bike, "but are you interested in working for Rubber Noodles?"  
  
The kid stopped. Answering in his New York-accent, "Hmm, a part-time job, eh?"  
  
"Yes, enter the fine world of noodle-making!" the man continued, "My name is Tunahead. If you join now, I'll throw in the noodle-making rubber suit free!"  
  
"Hmm," he said, "I dunno. I was on my way to my friend Yugi's house. With the new school and all, I'm not sure if I'll have the time. . ."  
  
"What's your name, son?"  
  
"Joey," the kid answered, "Joey Wheeler."  
  
Tunahead grinned malevolently. He threw his cheap suit upward, revealing a rubber suit, covering his entire body. Attached to the hood was a weird yellow. . .thing. . .  
  
"Look, Joey," Tunahead began, "I've had a rough day. I'm not named Tunahead, I'm Seaslug, of the Rubberrobo Gang. I'll cut you a deal. We Robattle. I win, you join the Rubberrobo Gang. You win. . .I'll fix your bike."  
  
"My bike isn't broken."  
  
A White-Sword jumped forward, slashing Joey's back tire in two. Joey's eyes narrowed. He raised his wrist to chin level, "Alright, Seaslug, let's pour some salt! Transport Medabot!"  
  
(Insert Seaslug cackle here)  
  
Soon a black Dragon-type Medabot with a Phoenix medal appeared before Joey. He grinned happily, thinking the out-dated White Sword wouldn't stand a chance against his powerful Red-Eyes.  
  
Suddenly a garden gnome in a nearby lawn exploded, revealing Mr. Referee, "Medafighters Ready? Medabots, Robattle!!!"  
  
~  
  
Next time: Will Joey lose and join the evil Rubberrobo Gang? How will Bakura and Shinobu get along? The Robattle continues, on Medabounty Games! 


	3. Chicken Chow Mein

Joey bit his lip as his Red-Eyes charged the White-Sword. He knew what was at stake. He also knew that his Dragon-type Red-Eyes was much more powerful than the outdated White-Sword.  
  
'Then again," Joey thought to himself, "the Rubberrobo Gang isn't known for being fair.'  
  
Seaslug stood opposite him, across the street, cackling away, "Nothing can defeat our White-Sword! Obliterate him!"  
  
They met in the middle of the street. As they clashed, Red-Eyes' claws tore White-Sword's left arm.  
  
Control: 75% Damage, noticeable damage  
  
Red-Eyes' teeth came down hard on White-Sword's right arm. White-Sword stumbled back, but didn't dull.  
  
Power: 80% Damage, high damage  
  
Seaslug laughed maniacally, "Go, White-Sword! Finish it!"  
  
'What Robattle is he watching?' Joey thought, "Red-Eyes! Get'm!"  
  
Red-Eyes dealt a blow to both the left and right arms. As Seaslug's Medawatch declared its function ceased, Joey shouted another command. Red- Eyes jaws clamped on White-Sword's head.  
  
Balance: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
"Ha-hah!" Joey yelled out loud.  
  
"What? I don't see you winning!" Seaslug retorted as two more White-Swords emerged from behind a truck.  
  
"That is a violation of the rules!" Mr. Referee shouted, "Penalty Box!"  
  
A dart flew from the sky, puncturing Seaslug's neck. He merely laughed, "My rubber's too thick for your darts to get through! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
"Well, I've done all I can!" Mr. Referee said as he ran down the street to escape the Rubberrobo Gang.  
  
The two White-Sword slashed at Red-Eyes' head, wasting no time. They both struck their targets. As Red-Eyes fell, it grabbed one White-Sword, falling on top of it.  
  
Balance: 99% Damage, overload imminent  
  
All parts: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
"Red-Eyes!" Joey yelled, falling to his knees.  
  
Seaslug loomed above him, sunglasses gleaming, "Well, kid, we had a deal. . ."  
  
~  
  
Shinobu sat opposite Bakura at the small two-person table. They were in a local restaurant. Bakura had said he knew the owners, and they made the best Chicken Chow Mein.  
  
Author's Note: I'm not positive if that's how to spell Chow Mein, but I will check on it.  
  
They were waiting for their food. They had both ordered the Chicken Chow Mein. Bakura lowered his cup of iced tea and looked toward Shinobu.  
  
"Are you alright?" Bakura asked softly.  
  
"Yes," Shinobu answered, "thank you."  
  
Bakura looked into her eyes and smiled. His smiled was quite meek, but inside he melted. Shinobu was beautiful. Bakura inwardly kicked himself, thinking that she must have agreed to this out of sympathy, or just a friendly get together.  
  
Shinobu raised an eyebrow, seeing Bakura's eyes reflect his sudden emotional conflict. This proceeded for another five minutes, while Bakura sat, inwardly yelling at himself for his arrogance. Shinobu stared at his eyes, trying to decipher his thoughts.  
  
Afterward he came to; realising Shinobu was looking at him. Shinobu was not aware he had stopped his inner argument. She had leaned a ways forward, not a lot, but still noticeable to Bakura, who was uncomfortable with Shinobu staring at him.  
  
Bakura began to look into Shinobu's eyes. They were soft and friendly, but also seemed slightly frightened or cautious. Her head rested on her right palm. Her eyes were closed slightly.  
  
"Shinobu. . ." Bakura started.  
  
Shinobu blinked a few times and then noticed she was leaning on her arm, so she quickly sat back in her chair.  
  
"Yes, Bakura?" Shinobu asked quietly.  
  
"Well. . ." Bakura started, hesitating slightly, "I. . .I. . ."  
  
Bakura sighed as a waiter interrupted them. Shinobu noticed the depressed and defeated look that shot across Bakura's face. It had soon left, consoling itself in the smell of warm Chicken Chow Mein.  
  
"Are you okay, Bakura?" Shinobu replied softly.  
  
"Yes. . ." Bakura answered, 'I'll try again later. . .'  
  
"Bakura, you were right!" Shinobu gasped, tasting the Chicken Chow Mein, "And it's hot!"  
  
A smile flickered across Bakura's face as Shinobu desperately drank her lemonade, "Sorry, I should've warned you. . ."  
  
"It's okay," Shinobu smiled back at him, reaching across the small table to place her hand on his.  
  
Bakura was taken aback by her gesture. Shinobu saw his eyes jump, and her hand faltered, "I-I'm sorry."  
  
"No, it's okay," Bakura replied, "I just wasn't expecting anything. . ."  
  
Shinobu sighed inwardly. She knew had Bakura felt, to be shy, unable to explain your feelings. She just hoped he felt the same way about her.  
  
~  
  
"Thanks, Bakura," Shinobu said happily as they reached the floor of the apartment.  
  
"It was my pleasure," Bakura replied, equally happy.  
  
They paused outside Shinobu's door. Shinobu turned to look into Bakura's eyes one more time. They reflected his thoughts again. His eyes were gentle, he smiled cautiously. Shinobu smiled back.  
  
"Bakura. . ." Shinobu started.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What were you going to say before?"  
  
Bakura swallowed hard. He was breathing heavily, and, to his surprise, so was Shinobu, "Shinobu. . .I. . ."  
  
Bakura looked into Shinobu's eyes. They were just the same as his. Then came a new emotion, hope.  
  
"I. . ." Bakura tried to continue.  
  
"Bakura," Shinobu interrupted, "Let me try and finish for you."  
  
Shinobu suddenly blushed. She placed one hand on his cheek, the other on his shoulder. As he leaned closer to him, Bakura's hands reached around Shinobu, embracing her.  
  
Shinobu closed her eyes, as did Bakura. Slowly, their lips touched. For an instant, Shinobu's live seemed calm and serene. Bakura's inner argument collapsed, feeling Shinobu's kiss.  
  
After a moment had paused, Shinobu broke the kiss. In a smooth movement, she opened the door and slid inside. After closing it, she knelt down, leaning against the firmness of the door. She sighed, hoping she hadn't offended Bakura.  
  
Bakura stood outside the door, resting all his weight against it. He touched his forefinger and middle to his lips, contemplating the extent of Shinobu's feelings for him. Two hours passed before he decided to go home.  
  
~  
  
"Hey, Joey, where were you yesterday? We were gonna have a practice Robattle," Yugi asked.  
  
Joey looked up. A smirk crossed his face, "Why don't we Robattle now?"  
  
"Nice sunglasses, Joey," Yugi complimented, "but wouldn't we get in trouble? I mean, we aren't supposed to even have our Medabots at school!"  
  
"C'mon, Yugi," Joey provoked, "afraid of me?"  
  
"No, it's just. . ." Yugi started.  
  
"You worry too much, Yugi," Joey replied, putting his arms up behind him to support his head as he leaned back in his chair.  
  
Yugi sighed, "Alright Joey, if that's what you really want."  
  
"Great," Joey grinned, running the plan through his head again, 'I'm a man of my word. . .', what choice did he have? "Why don't we do something different this time. How 'bout: You win, I'll give you my Phoenix medal, I win, I get your Dark Magician's Devil medal, deal?"  
  
"Joey! Are you crazy?" Yugi yelled.  
  
Joey rubbed his nose with his thumb, "Yeah, I'm crazy. But hey, Robattles are gettin' borin' since we moved here. I dunno what it is, maybe I'm just homesick. All I know is that we should have some fun with it."  
  
"But medals?"  
  
"C'mon, Yugi," Joey urged, "it's just like wagering cards back home!"  
  
"I guess if it's what you want. . ." Yugi admitted.  
  
"Alright!" Joey shouted, jumping from his chair, "Transport Medabot!"  
  
Soon a massive Dragon-type Medabot appeared. Joey put his Phoenix medal in the back and shouted to Yugi.  
  
"C'mon, Yug, bring out your 'bot!"  
  
"What is that thing?" Yugi gawked, "What happened to Red-Eyes?"  
  
"It's the same Medal," Joey assured him, "a friend of mine just gave me some new Medaparts. Say hello to Black Skull!"  
  
Dark Magician appeared, glaring deep into the eyes of the Black Skull. Yugi stared at Joey. 'He's changed,' he thought, 'this isn't Joey. He wouldn't trick me into Robattling some new Medabot, putting my Medal on the line.'  
  
'Yugi, let me help you!' Yami cried.  
  
'Alright,' Yugi agreed, 'We'll do this together.'  
  
(Yu-Gi-Oh!)(Mind Shuffle)  
  
"Alright, Joey," Yami called out, "Let's begin."  
  
Tristan, who stood at the sidelines, thought out loud, "Hey, where's Mr. Referee?"  
  
~  
  
"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't let you through without a hall pass," the hall monitor stated firmly.  
  
"But there's a Robattle starting!" Mr. Referee whined.  
  
"No exceptions!"  
  
~  
  
Joey and Yami Yugi stood across the field from one another, preparing to Robattle. Tristan and Tea stood at the sidelines, trying to decide who to cheer for. From the bushes, Seaslug, Shrimplips. Gillgirl, and Squidguts eagerly awaited the verdict. . .  
  
~  
  
"Black Skull! Flare Fire Blast!" Joey shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Dark Magician, black magic!" Yami cried in response.  
  
Dark Magician fired three powerful shots from his right arm cannon. Black Skull dodged two, but the third struck his left leg. Black Skull's flames scorched Dark Magician's legs and left arm.  
  
Talons: 20% Damage  
  
Light Foot: 60% Damage, danger, Mind Crush: 40% Damage  
  
"Dark Magician!" Yami commanded, "Mind Crush!"  
  
The wide range laser barely scraped Black Skull. The dragon charged Dark Magician, striking its legs and right arm.  
  
Light Foot: 100% Damage, function ceased, Black Magic: 80% Damage, high damage  
  
"My Dark Magician!" Yami yelled.  
  
"Heheh. . ." Joey grinned, "he's going to somewhere far worse than the graveyard. . .Black Skull! Finish 'im!"  
  
Black Skull stood above Dark Magician. The Dark Magician, legs 100% damage, couldn't move. The fire came down upon him, finishing the match.  
  
All parts: 100% damage, function ceased.  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: Thank you Anonymous Reviewer. I cannot just call you Anonymous Reviewer, though. . .hmm. . .if you read this and review, please tell me a name. Oh, and thanks to DMG9! 


	4. The Good, The Bad, And The Robo

It had been a long Monday morning. Bakura saw Shinobu once before classes, but she quickly rushed off, her face bright red. He had spent all of break searching for her, ignoring the Robattle between a couple people he didn't know. Now it was lunch, Bakura stood in the spot where he had first met Shinobu.  
  
He sighed, and headed toward the cafeteria. He hoped she would be there. Bakura wanted to talk to here. He hoped she wanted to talk to him.  
  
And yet, he hoped she wasn't there. If she was, he wouldn't know how to say what he wanted. He would end up looking at her from the other side of the room. Occasionally, she would look at him, but quickly turn away.  
  
He was torn. He wasn't sure what he wanted. He stumbled off toward the cafeteria, backpack slung over his shoulders.  
  
~  
  
"Good job, Rubberrobo," Seaslug congratulated, holding the Dark Magician's medal between his forefinger and thumb.  
  
"Thanks," Joey muttered.  
  
"You put those Black Skull parts we gave you to good use," Seaslug commented, "I think we can move you up to a slightly higher level."  
  
With a classic Rubberrobo smirk, Seaslug lead Joey into another room. Within it were two chairs and a desk. Behind the desk was a filing cabinet. Seaslug sat behind the desk and motioned for Joey to sit opposite him. Joey sat in the chair, looking quite odd in his Rubberrobo suit.  
  
"You see, Rubberrobo," Seaslug began, placing his feet on the desk and tilting backward in his chair, "You're one of the best Medafighters we have. And we need you on the most important business. I think you're ready for it."  
  
Grinning again, Seaslug spun in his chair, now facing the filing cabinet. Searching through it, he continued, "We, the Rubberrobo Gang, have compiled a set of files, each containing information on a rare, or just powerful, medal. We will assign you a medal to obtain for us. You will be given all the information we possess. Do you understand?"  
  
Joey nodded as Seaslug turned to see him, handing him a folder, "You may go, Rubberrobo, good luck!"  
  
Joey shuffled outside, cursing under his breath. Looking inside the folder, he read aloud, "Hmm. . .Ragnarock. Cat-type Medabot with a Phoenix Medal. . .Medafighter is Todd Jacobs. Hey, he's in my class!"  
  
Joey stopped walking. He flipped through various pages. A couple were images taken of Ragnarock and Todd in combat. Ragnarock appeared to function on all fours, having two grappling attacks similar to Sumilidon's Shadow Sword (both using claws). One attack is fast, can get in a couple of continuous shots, but is fairly weak. The other is slow, but tends to make Medaparts malfunction. Its head part has the ability to spew flames.  
  
He read the information on Todd. A B-average student. Often spends time on the roof of his house or with his brother and twin, Mort Jacobs. Currently in a relationship with Vanessa Glendale. Quite a passive person, but takes video games too seriously.  
  
"Heh. . .sound like a nice guy to me," Joey muttered, "But I got my orders."  
  
~  
  
It was quarter-past 3:00. She sat outside the school, leaning against the wall. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to do anything. She felt as if she had offended the one person she held dear.  
  
He turned the corner, noticing her sitting before him. He stood there for a moment, realizing she hadn't seen him. He bit his lip, walking forward. He sat down next to her.  
  
"Shinobu. . ." he whispered.  
  
She turned and looked at him, just noticing his presence, "Bakura. . .I. . .I'm sorry. . ."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I. . ." Shinobu tried to talk, but couldn't find the right words.  
  
"You thought you hurt me?" Bakura suggested.  
  
Shinobu nodded fearfully. Bakura sighed, slightly relieved. A slight smile flickered across the edge of his face.  
  
"Shinobu," Bakura continued, "I. . ." Bakura bit his lip once more, eyes revealing his fear, "I love you."  
  
Shinobu's right hand slowly climbed to her mouth. It then outstretched, along with the left, carefully placing themselves behind Bakura's neck. Bakura cautiously took her by the waist. They slowly drew closer, almost afraid of what may happen. They did not fear a kiss, they were afraid of some unknown source.  
  
Their lips slowly touched. Now their eyes were closed. They were lost in one another's embrace.  
  
They drew back, looking into the other's eyes. There was a small smile on their faces, more shy than happy.  
  
"Bakura," Shinobu replied, "I love you, too."  
  
~  
  
"Jet!" the confident voice shouted into the pilot's room.  
  
"Yeah?" the gruff man called back.  
  
"We've got a job!"  
  
"Doing?"  
  
"We have to catch some gang member," Spike Spiegel explained, "Big Shot says some Principal of a school placed a bounty of 10 Million Woo-long on the man alive."  
  
"Who is it?" Jet asked, entering the room.  
  
"A guy named Joey Wheeler. He's a student at the Principal's school. Apparently, this Joey guy joined the Rubberrobo Gang, an organization trying to steal the rare medals from Medafighters and use them to conquer the world. Joey Robattled his best friend for his medal and won. Big Shot also says there's another 5 Million if we get him to reform from the Rubberrobo Gang."  
  
"So why did you choose this one?" Jet asked suspiciously.  
  
"Why not?" Spike answered nonchalantly.  
  
"C'mon, Spike," Jet insisted, "There's always a reason."  
  
"Alright," Spike shrugged, "where there's a school, there's a cafeteria."  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I have something to work with! Thank you Alyee! You make me sooooooooooooooooo happy! ^_^! I have a friend (well, at least I assume I have a friend. . .)!  
  
Next time: Spike comes after Joey. But when the Rubberrobo Gang continues to grow, can one mere Bounty Hunter stop it, or just stall for time? 


	5. Happy Birthday, Keitaro!

Keitaro Urashima squatted down, looking at his Medabot. The empty eyes of his Doll-type Medabot stared back. He had owned the body for as long as he could remember, but never had the money to buy a medal.  
  
He looked up, hearing the apartment door swing open and close a moment later. He saw Shinobu walk happily past the open door. Keitaro paused waiting for the familiar sound of Shinobu's door. To his surprise, Shinobu appeared once more at the door frame, standing before Keitaro.  
  
"Sempai," Shinobu started, "Would it be all right if. . ."  
  
"Bakura?" Keitaro asked, standing.  
  
"Um, yes," Shinobu replied, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pink, "May he come here for a while this evening?"  
  
"Fine with me," Keitaro answered, "Aunt Haruka and Kanako are out right now, so you'll have to ask them when they got home."  
  
"I saw Haruka on my way here," Shinobu explained.  
  
"Oh, okay," Keitaro nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"Thank you, sempai," Shinobu said as she turned to leave, "and happy birthday."  
  
Keitaro was slightly surprised she remembered. Keitaro merely shrugged and picked up his sketchbook.  
  
~  
  
Haruka walked down the slightly congested street. She stopped at one shop with a large sign labeled '24Hop Mart'. Opening the door, she entered the shop.  
  
"Hello," a young man behind the desk greeted, "I'm Henry, may I help you?"  
  
"I'm looking for a Queen-type medal," Haruka replied, "for my nephew."  
  
"Sorry, but I'm afraid we only sell Medabots, "if you want Medals, try the store across the street."  
  
"Do they sell anything else?" one kid asked, jumping from his chair.  
  
"Yes, Ikki," Henry sighed, "They deal mostly in video games. The store's called Baka Games."  
  
"C'mon, Erika!" Ikki shouted, grabbing his friend's hand and dragging her down the street.  
  
"He'll probably get lost," another kid with smooth black hair muttered.  
  
~  
  
Haruka handed a large amount of money to a man who appeared to constantly have his eyes closed. After he gave her the Queen medal, which she pocketed, the door swung open roughly.  
  
"Freeze!" a man in a rubber suit shouted, "We're the Rubberrobo Gang!"  
  
Haruka was now standing near the back of the store. The man at the counter, named Keith Dervish, was approached by the notorious Seaslug of the Rubberrobo Gang. Other Rubberrobos stood around the store with their Medabots.  
  
"Well, well," Seaslug smirked, "What do we have here? Medals?"  
  
Seaslug cackled. Keith stared blankly at him. After Seaslug finished laughing, he noticed how calm Keith looked.  
  
"Hey, you!" Seaslug yelled at Keith, "Don't you know who we are! We've come to rob this joint and steal all the medals! GWAHAHAHAAA!"  
  
Keith stolidly put his hands in the air. Seaslug raised an eyebrow. Then, behind his Rubberrobo sunglasses, his eyes narrowed.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me!" Seaslug grunted, "Hand over the medals!"  
  
Keith didn't move.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? Get the medals!" Seaslug shrieked.  
  
Seaslug snapped his fingers and a Kuwagata-type Medabot, Quick-draw, walked over, raising its right arm level with Keith's head.  
  
The a man walked in. He wore a casual blue suit with a yellow shirt underneath. His large green hair shook back and forth as he walked. Headphones were over his ears, though no one could hear any music.  
  
"Hey!" Seaslug shouted at the man, "What're you doing? Can't you hear me?"  
  
The man turned and looked through shelves containing different card games. He took one pack and turned to Seaslug, "I'll take this."  
  
With that, he pulled his fingers back, keeping his thumb firm on the cards. They flew forward, distracting Seaslug. The man kicked Quick-draw, sending it over the counter and off of its wheels, making it unable to move.  
  
Seaslug ran at the man. He grabbed Seaslug, flipping him over his back. Seaslug landed next to a glass case containing various video games atop shelves. As he struck the case, the video games fell from their shelves, but didn't leave the case. Seaslug lay before the case, video games above him. The man opened the case, and the games crashed down on Seaslug, who squealed in agony.  
  
Suddenly the vent fell out, and a large man fell out, attacking another Rubberrobo. The two fought the Rubberrobos and their Medabots until the only ones standing were the two men, Keith, and Haruka.  
  
The door opened and in walked another Quick-draw. Realizing its accomplices had been defeated, it ran to Haruka and grabbed her, holding its right arm to her head.  
  
"Drop your weapons!" the Medabot called out.  
  
"Jet," the first man said firmly.  
  
"Yeah, Spike?" the second replied.  
  
"You said there were only three of them," Spike continued, "plus Medabots."  
  
"To deceive your enemy, first you must deceive your friend," Jet answered.  
  
"How does deceiving me help?" Spike shouted.  
  
"I said drop your weapons!" Quick-draw repeated.  
  
Jet sighed, removed his pistol, and dropped it. Spike confidently removed his gun and aimed for Quick-draw. Jet looked kind of shocked at his reaction.  
  
"I'm sorry grandma," Spike started, Haruka yelled out about being called 'grandma', "but we are not police, nor security guards. We do not think about saving civilian lives."  
  
"You lowlife!" Haruka shouted.  
  
"Dang it, he's a Cowboy!" Quick-draw muttered, now aiming at Spike.  
  
Spike was too quick. He fired three times. One hit its head, another the left arm, and the last punctured its wheels. Quick-draw collapsed on the ground.  
  
"Who are you?" Haruka asked, glad to be free of the Medabot.  
  
Spike blew the smoke from his gun, "Just your average Bounty Hunter."  
  
~  
  
Keitaro shuffled out of his room, aiming to find a drink. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Taking a glass from the cupboard, he filled it with a liquid he assumed was orange juice.  
  
Exiting the kitchen, he entered the living room, where his faithful window awaited him. Tasting the liquid, he was surprised to discover it was peach punch. He smiled, for he like peach more than orange.  
  
He stopped walking. He looked at the mantle. On it lay three packages. One small bag, one regular box, and one large box.  
  
Keitaro's shocked expression turned to one of glee, "Hey, everyone remembered my birthday!"  
  
~  
  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEITARO!" they all shouted.  
  
Keitaro smiled as he ate his chocolate cake. Haruka, Kanako, Shinobu, and Narusegawa sat around the table. He was surprised Narusegawa came.  
  
"How's your birthday been so far, Keitaro?" Haruka asked.  
  
Haruka was the only one not eating cake, thus being the only one free to talk. Shinobu had made the cake herself. She was glad Keitaro enjoyed it, it made her feel needed.  
  
"Gawahearfuplimger. . ." Keitaro attempted to speak.  
  
Narusegawa shot a look at him. Keitaro closed his eyes and swallowed. After taking a minute to clear his mouth with milk, he continue, "My birthday's been great. Thank you, Aunt Haruka."  
  
Haruka looked a little mad, "Just Haruka, no aunt!"  
  
Soon they had finished their cake. Kanako lead the way the living room, where the presents awaited them. Narusegawa's present had been added to the pile, which was quite small and rectangular.  
  
Shinobu's present was first. Keitaro carefully unwrapped it, for Shinobu had meticulously placed the wrapping paper around it. Inside was a box. Keitaro raised one eyebrow, disliking boxes. He thought the edges were too sharp and dangerous. Within the box was sweater. Shinobu had handmade it by herself. Sailor-twin had helped pick out the colours.  
  
Keitaro was then handed Kanako's gift. This time tearing through the wrapping paper, for it was slapped on quickly itself, it revealed to be a Zenith Gaming Device (a console, such as Nintendo64) and two games, a racing game and an adventure game. He smiled broadly and thanked Kanako, who blushed.  
  
Haruka gave Keitaro the bag next, which was full of tissue paper. Digging through the bag, he pulled out a small hexagon. He looked quite amazed.  
  
"It's a Queen medal," he breathed.  
  
"I thought you would like to use that old Medabot your grandfather had," Haruka explained.  
  
"Thanks, Aunt Haruka!" Keitaro said, Haruka glared at the word 'Aunt'.  
  
Narusegawa placed the rectangular package on his lap, sitting on the arm of his chair. Keitaro paused, holding the gift in his hands. After taking a deep breath, he opened the package. Inside was a brand new sketch book.  
  
"Thank you, Narusegawa," he said, turning to Narusegawa.  
  
"That's just half of my gift," Narusegawa explained.  
  
She slid down from the arm of the chair and onto his lap. Putting her arms around his neck, she drew him into a kiss. She pressed her lips against his. After Keitaro's shock passed, he closed his eyes, putting his arms around her.  
  
~  
  
The doorbell rang. Shinobu ran to the door, swinging it open. She rushed forward, embracing Bakura, who turned quite red.  
  
"How are you?" she cooed quietly.  
  
Bakura shrugged as they entered the apartment, "My day's getting better, how about you?"  
  
Shinobu smiled, "I'm fine. It's Keitaro's birthday today."  
  
Bakura nodded. Holding Shinobu's hand, they sat on the rather small couch. Sailor-twin walked up to Bakura, "Good evening, Bakura."  
  
"Hello, Sailor-twin," Bakura greeted, "How are you?"  
  
"I am well."  
  
Bakura smiled, "You want to have someone to talk to?"  
  
Sailor-twin put her head to one side, "What do you mean?"  
  
Bakura lifted his Medawatch, pressing down on it. Soon, a Angel-type Medabot appeared. Bakura inserted the Tortoise Medal and the Medabot came to life.  
  
"Hello, Bakura," the Medabot said, its voice soft and fragile.  
  
"Hello, White Seraph," Bakura smiled, "this is Sailor-twin. Go and do something together."  
  
The two Medabots walked off, talking quietly. Shinobu looked up at Bakura, "I like your Medabot."  
  
"I like my Medabot, too," Bakura grinned, "Sailor-twin's a nice Medabot as well."  
  
Shinobu placed her head on his shoulder (á la Belldandy from Oh! My Goddess!). On cue, Bakura appeared quite shocked, but cautiously put his arm around her.  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: Like that Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door-type scene? I had fun with it. Well, five down, (insert number here) to go. 


	6. The Evil Overlord of English

"When I said run, I mean RUN!" Coach Mountain shouted down the length of the field.  
  
Ikki and Erica dragged their feet. Keitaro had long collapsed. Keiichi would have too, if Belldandy hadn't supported him. Bakura staggered along, Shinobu at his side. Timothy ran, wincing every other step. Todd was panting, but his eyes were determined. Ami Garcia was coughing quite often now.  
  
Shinobu fell to one knee. Bakura stopped and dashed to her side.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked desperately.  
  
Shinobu smiled at him and blushed, "Yes, I'll be fine."  
  
"Bakura! Shinobu!" Coach Mountain thundered at them, "Running!"  
  
Shinobu stumbled to her feet and they meagerly ran along with the rest of them. As the lapped Keitaro, they heard a feet snoring sound.  
  
~  
  
"Ugh," Gabriel moaned after PE was over, "well that was torture, what's our next class?"  
  
Jared MacNeil, also known as Jakal, tried to stand, gasping for air, "English with Mr. Cloverly."  
  
Suddenly Gabriel was full of energy. He sprinted down the hall, his backpack flying along with him.  
  
Jakal and Nathan leisurely strolled to class, "Idiot."  
  
They took their seats and awaited their favorite teacher's arrival. After a moment, Mr. Cloverly entered the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Everyone to their regular spots!" Edward Cloverly demanded, eyes glimmering evilly, "Today I expect all of you to finish your essays on the equilibrium of life!"  
  
"Huh?" Tristan muttered.  
  
Mr. Cloverly's face trembled from its position as evil despot. Soon he broke out laughing. After he recovered slightly, he tried to speak, "Ah, you guys are priceless. Especially you, Keitaro."  
  
Keitaro's arms had several times wrapped around his head in horror. He had thought Mr. Cloverly had become malevolent overlord overnight.  
  
"Anyway," Mr. Cloverly said lightly, "is there anyone who did not finish their literary terms?"  
  
Several hands shot into the air eagerly.  
  
"How many of you are lying?"  
  
All but one hand dropped.  
  
Mr. Cloverly sighed, then faced the remaining hand, "Alright, Mitsune, I'm afraid you now owe me a Robattle!"  
  
Todd smiled, remembering the usual punishment. Mr. Cloverly pressed the button on his Medawatch, and his Medabot appeared.  
  
Righteous Knight, Medafighter: Edward Cloverly, Type: Weapon, Specialty: Agility.  
  
Mitsune shrugged and summoned her Medabot. Before her appeared a Bear-Type Medabot.  
  
Invisi-Bear, Medafighter: Mitsune, Type: Bear, Specialty: Invisibility.  
  
Mr. Cloverly inserted the Spider medal as Mitsune snapped in the Chameleon medal. The chalkboard flipped around, revealing Mr. Referee.  
  
"Medafighter ready? Medabots, Robattle!"  
  
Invisi-Bear ran at the lanky Righteous Knight. Mr. Cloverly whispered into the Medawatch, and at Invisi-Bear's massive paw came crashing down, Righteous Knight stepped to the side, striking Invisi-Bear with it's right arm sword.  
  
Big Claw: 40% Damage  
  
Invisi-Bear countered with a backhand sideswipe, knocking Righteous Knight to the walk. Righteous Knight took some damage, but landed horizontally on the wall, running backward to the ceiling and flipping around to land on the ground on its feet.  
  
Combat Saber: 70% Damage, repair needed, Custom Pistol: 50% Damage, half damage  
  
Righteous Knight fired its left arm gun twice, hitting both times. Invisi- Bear fell backwards, striking a desk.  
  
Large Claw: 70% Damage, repair needed, Big Claw: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
Mitsune's eyes glimmered, "Invisi-Bear! Go invisible!"  
  
As the crimson eyes of Invisi-Bear lit up, the rest disappeared. Soon after, the eyes were gone, too.  
  
"You're not the only one who can pull a cheap trick," Mr. Cloverly muttered, "Righteous Knight, turn on the light!"  
  
Righteous Knight ran to the window, pulling open the blinds. The sunlight poured in. A shadow appeared on the ground, showing Invisi-Bear's location.  
  
"Righteous Knight," Mr. Cloverly smirked, "finish the job."  
  
Righteous Knight lifted his left arm, firing a single shot.  
  
All parts: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
"You see, Mitsune," Mr. Cloverly scolded, "Invisi-Bear blends with the surroundings, it doesn't turn invisible. So it still casts a shadow."  
  
"Aw. . ." Mitsune pouted.  
  
"Anyway," Mr. Cloverly said, regaining his professionalism, "Everyone else, get out your papers for me to collect."  
  
~  
  
Spike Spiegel sat in his motel room, feet resting on a chair about a meter away. He was lightly holding his gun, spinning it on his index finger.  
  
'Hmm. . .' he thought to himself, 'Joey Wheeler wasn't there this time, what could he be doing? No doubt the Rubberrobo Gang has him doing some of their hardest work, otherwise there wouldn't be a bounty on his head. . .  
  
'What does the Rubberrobo Gang want? Rare medals. What's the easiest way to find Rare medals? Take them from those who have it. So I have to find people with Rare medals and wait for Joey to come to me!'  
  
Spike leapt from his chair, knocking over the one his feet were on. Not pausing to right the fallen chair, he dashed from the motel room, throwing his blue jacket on over his yellow shirt. Pocketing his pistol, he closed and locked the door.  
  
~  
  
He stood outside after school, awaiting his target. Todd exited the school and hopped down the front steps. Pressing the button on his Medawatch, we eagerly awaited the arrival of his friend. Soon the Cat-type Medabot was there before him, and he popped in the Phoenix medal.  
  
"Hey, Todd!" Joey shouted.  
  
"What's with the rubber suit, Joey?" Todd grinned back.  
  
Joey shrugged, walked over to Todd. His Medabot, Black Skull followed.  
  
"How 'bout a Robattle, Todd?" Joey smirked, "Winner take all."  
  
"Winner take all?" Todd asked cautiously.  
  
"Medals."  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I know this isn't a great chapter, but I was kinda rushed. I'm glad you're happy this is dedicated to you Alyee, because you're the only one keeping it alive! 


	7. Don't kick the baby!

Ragnarock leapt high above Black Skull as it charged him. As he landed, facing Black Skull, it sprayed him with flames. Black Skull just kept coming.  
  
Talons: 10% Damage  
  
"It barely scathed him. . ." Todd breathed.  
  
Joey grinned happily (you know that overconfident grin of his), "Black Skull! Flare Fire Blast!"  
  
Ragnarock dove to the side as the holocaust of flames struck the ground, sweeping over it. Ragnarock, jumping reflexively and not planning it out, slipped while landing, and sprawled out on the gravel.  
  
"Ragnarock!" Todd shouted.  
  
"Get'm, Black Skull!" Joey yelled, smirking.  
  
Black Skull shot forward, grabbing Ragnarock by the neck. Hoisting up to eye level, the Medabot paused, waiting for the command.  
  
"Go, Black Skull! Finish him off!"  
  
Before Black Skull could attack, Ragnarock lifted his head. The fire engulfed Black Skull, pushing him back. Black Skull staggered forward  
  
Flare Cannon: 70% Damage, repair needed, Talons: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
"Grr. . .Black Skull! Attack!"  
  
Black Skull's left arm came down on Ragnarock's head, squeezing it. When it released, Ragnarock collapsed onto the hard ground. . .  
  
Fire-breather: 100% Damage, function ceased  
  
Todd took a step forward. 'Why? Ragnarock, No!' Joey walked forward and pocketed the medal, then walked off. . .  
  
'Hmm. . .' he thought from his perch in the tree, 'so that's Joey. Not much of a job, but it's worth the bounty.'  
  
~  
  
"I got the medal," Joey stated, placing the medal on Seaslug's desk.  
  
"Excellent," Seaslug grinned, "here's your next job."  
  
Joey took the paper and left Rubber Noodles. He cursed himself under his breath for ever Robattling Seaslug. He opened the folder, removing the information on his next target.  
  
"Let's see," Joey sighed, "What! No, I can't!"  
  
'But then, I've already taken a medal from my best bud, Yugi. . .'  
  
Joey groaned as he stood and dragged himself home, dropping a single picture from the folder. Spike Spiegel stepped out from hiding and picked up the picture.  
  
"Who is this?" Spike whispered, raising an eyebrow.  
  
On the image was a Medabot and a boy. The Medabot appeared to have wings, but could fly or walk. It had a right arm high-speed pistol and a left arm laser. Its wings had powerful armor, and could cover its entire body.  
  
"Hmm. . .Angel-type Medabot," Spike muttered calmly, "and a kid with long white hair."  
  
~  
  
A kid with long white hair sat on a bench outside his house, reading a book. His Angel-type Medabot sat beside him, reading over his shoulder.  
  
"Bakura?" White Seraph broke the silence.  
  
Bakura looked up, "What is it, White Seraph?"  
  
"Shouldn't we be going to Baka Games by now?" White Seraph asked quietly.  
  
"You're right," Bakura nodded, "I completely lost track of time!"  
  
The two hopped off the bench and started walking to Baka Games. They were planning on meeting Shinobu and Sailor-Twin. They decided to meet there so their Medabots would have someone to talk to while Bakura and Shinobu spent some time together.  
  
~  
  
"Halt!"  
  
"Oh, hello, Joey," Bakura greeted as he walked by him.  
  
"Hey!" Joey whined, "Get back here!"  
  
"I'm a little busy, Joey. Can it wait?" Bakura responded politely.  
  
"No!" Joey yelled.  
  
"Joey, I really have to go," Bakura explained, "I have to meet Shinobu at Baka Games."  
  
"I'll tell you what," Joey grinned, "we'll Robattle. You win, I'll let you go to Baka Games. I win, I get your medal."  
  
"No, thanks," Bakura answered.  
  
Bakura turned and walked down a different street, taking an alternate route to Baka Games. Joey ran after him, but somehow lost him (Yes, Joey can lose people when he's running and they're walking). He stepped into an alley, realizing Bakura wasn't there.  
  
"I've found you."  
  
Joey turned, noticing he was at gunpoint. His hands flew into the air, and his face was frozen with fear.  
  
"You seem too easy for 10 million," he grinned.  
  
"10. . .mil. . .million?" Joey squeaked.  
  
"You must know," Spike smirked, "or is this a tactic to throw me off?"  
  
Spike took a few steps forward. Joey walked backwards, until he came up against a brick wall. He bit his lip as the gun came closer and closer.  
  
"Honestly," Spike stated, "I expected more from this bounty."  
  
"Bounty?" Joey said, dumbfounded.  
  
"Hmm? You really don't know?" Spike muttered, then spoke a little louder, "You have a bounty on your head for 10 million woo-long. I am going to bring you in and finally eat some real food."  
  
"How about I give you some food. . ." Joey tried.  
  
"Heheheh. . ." Spike laughed quietly, "I doubt someone such as you could possibly pay for 10 million woo-long worth of food."  
  
"I. . .I work at a noodle place," Joey offered.  
  
Spike shook his head. He prepared to grab Joey, but he was struck in the back of the head by a small person in a rubber suit.  
  
"That's for attacking our Rubberrobo!"  
  
"Ugh," Spike coughed, "who are you?"  
  
"I am Shrimplips, of the Rubberrobo Gang!" the pint-sized Rubberrobo cackled as Joey carefully tiptoed away.  
  
The battle ensued between the bounty hunter and the Rubberrobo. Shrimplips was kicked in he chest, sent flying into the brick wall. Because Shrimplips was so small, all Spike could do was use his feet. He continued to kick Shrimplips, who was screaming in agony.  
  
"Uncle! Uncle!" Shrimplips cried.  
  
Spike continued to kick, venting his rage for losing the bounty. Shrimplips soon had large bruises on his chest and head.  
  
"Hey!" a man yelled, grabbing Spike by the neck.  
  
Spike flipped out of the man's grasp, kicking in the side. The man recovered, charging at Spike, who leaned to the side, tripping him.  
  
"Come on, Squidguts!" Shrimplips shrieked, "You can do it!"  
  
Squidguts wobbled to his feet and took a swing at Spike, who caught his fist. Squidguts tried again, but it was blocked by Spike's forearm. Spike retaliated by kicking Squidguts in the head. While he was stunned, Spike grabbed Shrimplips and threw him at Squidguts.  
  
As they both fell to the ground, Spike ran off, desperately trying to find his bounty again, but he knew he had lost him. . . 


	8. From master to beginner

Shinobu looked up to see Bakura entering Baka Games, White Seraph close behind him. The store was pretty much empty. Ikki sat at the counter, arguing with Metabee. An edgy man with glasses and a cheap suit stood sifting through magazines. Keith and Toshiro sat playing video games, awaiting customers they hope not to see, as so not to disturb their multi- player contests. Keiichi was asking Spyke a few questions about repairing his Motor-Wheel.  
  
"You know," Spyke sighed, "there 24Hop Mart's right across the street."  
  
"Thanks, Spyke," Keiichi replied, "I owe you one."  
  
Keiichi carefully brushed past Bakura and crossed the street. Metabee suddenly went berserk and fired his revolver several times, trying to strike Ikki, who jumped over the counter. The man looked over at the commotion, but soon turned back to the magazine racks, muttering to himself.  
  
"Hi, Shinobu," Bakura greeted softly, turning slightly red in the cheeks.  
  
"Hello," Shinobu replied, looking up at him.  
  
"Hello, Sailor-Twin!" White Seraph waved at his friend.  
  
Sailor-Twin waved back, but remained silent. The two Medabots walked off, talking quietly, to leave their Medafighters in peace.  
  
"Where do you want to go today?" Bakura asked shyly.  
  
"I just want to be with you," Shinobu said quietly, embracing him.  
  
Bakura blushed a little more. Shinobu had also started to turn red, but not nearly as much as Bakura.  
  
"We could just walk," Bakura whispered.  
  
Shinobu smiled back. The two headed for the door. As Bakura reached for the doorknob, a shot was fired from a Medabot behind him, hitting the door. Both Bakura and Shinobu reflexively took a step back.  
  
"HehehehehehehahahAHAHAHAA!" the man laughed, his Quick-draw lowering its right arm, "Don't move, Bakura!  
  
"Who are you?" Bakura asked cautiously.  
  
The man threw his cheap suit away, showing black rubber, "I am Seaslug, of the Rubberrobo Gang! Now you, Bakura, will Robattle me! The winner will take the Medal of the loser!"  
  
"Hey, where's Mr. Referee?" Ikki asked, lifting his head up from behind the counter.  
  
~  
  
Mr. Referee sat in the headquarters of the Rubberrobo Gang, tied up, being held above a pool of molten hot magma.  
  
'My Referee sense is tingling!' he thought desperately, 'I need to get out of here! My fans need me!'  
  
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! For years, you have thwarted our plans! Finally, we will have our revenge!" Shrimplips laughed insanely, throwing the level to lower Mr. Referee slowly into the magma.  
  
"Wait! Wasn't it Ikki who stopped you? Shouldn't I be allowed to leave and referee a match between Bakura and Seaslug? Hello?" Mr. Referee called out.  
  
~  
  
"Well, Bakura?" Seaslug smirked.  
  
"Do I have a choice?" Bakura asked.  
  
"Sadly, no," Seaslug cackled.  
  
"Well," Bakura bit his lip, "alright."  
  
"Bakura!" Shinobu cried.  
  
Quick-draw stood opposite White Seraph. Quick-draw's right and left arms flew upward, left with White Seraph. As it fired, White Seraph pulled its wings before it, blocking the bullets. Quick-draw continued to fire.  
  
"HAHAHAA!" Seaslug shouted, "You can't stand up to my Quick-draw forever!"  
  
"He doesn't need too," a voice called out.  
  
A man stood atop a table at the back of the room. He wore a white mask on his face. He held three grey hexagons in his right hand.  
  
"I am the thief in the night, the future owner of all your rare medals," the man shouted, "I am: The Phantom Renegade!"  
  
He threw the hexagons. Two of them caught Seaslug by the wrists, pulling him back and nailing him to the wall. The last one struck Quick-draw, knocking it down to the ground. The back compartment opened and the medal flew into the air. Phantom Renegade leap forward, grabbing the medal, and throwing a smoke bomb to the ground.  
  
Bakura and Shinobu dropped to the ground, holding one another to be sure Seaslug didn't try to take either one (you can't trust those Rubberrobos). Ikki leaned against the counter, coughing miserably. Keith and Toshiro could be heard clicking buttons, still playing their games, oblivious to the events around them.  
  
Soon the smoke cleared. The Phantom Renegade, Seaslug, and Quick-draw were gone. Keiichi opened the door, and looked around until he spotted Spyke.  
  
"Hey, Spyke," he yelled, "It says it's closed!"  
  
Spyke walked over and looked out the window, "Hmm, Henry's just opening the door now. That's odd."  
  
"Oh, well," Keiichi shrugged, "I'll just go now."  
  
~  
  
Mr. Referee ran down the street, hoping he hadn't missed the Robattle. I won't bore you with the details, we'll just say he escaped, okay?  
  
~  
  
Bakura and Shinobu finally managed to go for a walk. They held hands, talking quietly. They decided to stop at a bench in a park. Shinobu noticed a sign saying: 'Ikki Tenryou and Mr. Mountain, we thank you'. Young children swung on monkey bars and ran around playing games.  
  
"Are you having a good time?" Bakura asked.  
  
Shinobu nodded. She turned to look at Bakura. He was smiling. His eyes were soft, but still a little cautious from the events in Baka Games.  
  
"Thank you," she answered.  
  
"What did I do?" Bakura replied.  
  
"You made everything perfect," Shinobu said, leaning up to kiss him.  
  
Bakura blushed even more. Shinobu was also red. Bakura put his arm around her, and Shinobu rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
After a while had passed, Shinobu broke the silence, "Bakura?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why was Seaslug after your Medal?"  
  
"I. . .I don't know."  
  
~  
  
Spike Spiegel sat in his motel room, staring at the picture. He had figured out the boy's name was Bakura. The Medabot was called White Seraph. Big Shot hadn't provided him with any more information. He knew that the Rubberrobo Gang was protective of Joey Wheeler. He also knew Joey Wheeler was good to his word, and would catch Bakura and take his Medal if it was the last thing he did.  
  
Spike hopped onto his bed and grabbed the remote control. Turning on the TV, he sighed, discovering Mr. Garden was the only thing on.  
  
"I hate Wiggles the Dancing Rutabaga," Spike muttered to the empty room.  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: For those who do not know the Narpakgür Card Game, which I myself created, you can either read Welcome to Baka Games #1, read my profile, or go to my profile and click on my homepage, then go to the section labeled 'Rules'. Unless you're a Kaiba-freak, he comes in here.  
  
"'Ey, Keith," a voice called out, entering the store.  
  
Keith turned from the game just as Toshiro's avatar blasted his to pieces, "Yeah?"  
  
Seto Kaiba strolled up the counter, "Duel Monsters is growing boring. I've beaten all, none can stand before me. I need something new. What can you suggest."  
  
"Well, Seto," Keith started, leaning on the counter, "There's one game called Narpakgür. It's based on a book by this guy called David Renaud. The point of the game is a war, first one to run out of units loses, got that so far?"  
  
Seto nodded.  
  
"Okay. Then I suggest you start off with a Starter Deck. Since you know card-based games, you might want to have a type that uses harder strategies to master. I suggest an Axe and Pike combination deck. It's easiest to use for beginners, but still has good abilities for the more experienced players."  
  
"Anything else you can tell me?"  
  
"Well," Keith continued, "probably the wisest way to make your choice would be to buy a few booster packs, then find out what you have powerful cards of, and buy a starter deck based on that."  
  
"Alright," Seto said, "I'll take six booster packs."  
  
"Alright, that comes to (whatever $18 Canadian is in Yen)," Keith replied.  
  
Seto handed him the money and took the booster packs. Opening the first one, he looked through the cards.  
  
"Hmm, what's this?" he muttered, raising a card that wasn't in English.  
  
"That, Seto," Keith explained, "would be the rarest card in the game. It is written in Thesman, the language used in the world the book is based in. Since you probably can't read Thesman, I'll tell you it's stats.  
  
"It's a level three unit. 700 HP, 200MP. It's location is Dür. It uses swords, and has two attacks. One attack requires at least a level one weapon and does 200 Base Damage, the other requires a level three weapon and does 400 Base Damage. It has a spell that takes 10 MP, if there are multiple copies of this card in play, both can use level 5 or lower weapons. That card alone can make a player use a Sword-type deck."  
  
Seto nodded in acknowledgement. Looking at the rest of his cards, he found King's Ransom, Price of Greed, Sword of the Forgotten Arts, and others. Inspecting all the cards, he made his decision.  
  
"So what's the sword started deck like?" he asked.  
  
"It includes both Sword and Bow cards. Sword-users are quite balanced, Bow- users are normally quite weak, with average effects, but can use two weapons at once, if one is a bow and the other is an arrow. Arrows add lots of damage. A level one arrow adds 80 Damage while a level one bow adds 10. Unfortunately, you may only use arrows a limited amount of times, which is stated on each card."  
  
"How much do they cost?" Seto raised one eyebrow.  
  
"($25 Canadian) for 75 cards," Keith said, taking one from the shelf.  
  
Seto paid him and walked over to a table set up for Narpakgür card dueling. Sifting through his deck, he dropped the box. Picking it up, he found a rulebook.  
  
"This will probably help," Seto told himself under his breath.  
  
Using the rulebook as a guide, he studied the rules. He quickly discovered the abilities of his cards, and which cards weren't worth the room they took in his deck.  
  
"Hey, Seto," a kid greeted, taking a seat across from Kaiba.  
  
"Who are you?" Seto asked coldly.  
  
"I'm Todd Jacobs, I'm in your class at school," the kid replied.  
  
Seto thought back to school. He remembered both Todd and Mort, his twin. Todd was the one without glasses, he wore contacts, "Ah, yes, Todd. Can I help you?"  
  
"Well, I noticed you have some cards, do you play?" Todd explained.  
  
"I'm starting."  
  
"You want me to show you the ropes?" Todd offered.  
  
"I think I'll do just fine," Kaiba answered as he stood, his face etched with his classic smirk.  
  
As Seto Kaiba swiftly walked down the street, he contemplated accepting Todd's offer. The cold autumn wind bit into his chest and he realized his jacket wasn't done up. After tightly pressing the last button, he regained his regal posture.  
  
'No, it will be better to master the game by myself. That way I can prove my knowledge to these new students at my school,' he thought, 'But then again, if I don't, I won't learn the lesser known strategies, the advantages of some cards, disadvantages of others, or how my common opponents will use their cards. . .'  
  
He stopped. He looked around. His current location displayed his situation perfectly. Before him was a fork in the road. To his left was a district made mostly of businesses. It was empty, secluded, but those who lived there were rich and powerful. To his right was a residential area. Within it were common people. They were friendly. They greeted strangers, even if was but a smile as the walked by them on the street. They were not weak, but they weren't powerful either.  
  
'Power,' he thought, 'or Friendship.'  
  
He looked behind him. The noises of the busy city replied to him. He couldn't turn back, just as he couldn't change his past. He sighed, and crossed the street.  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: Well, that's it for now. If anyone who cares and understands the Narpakgür game and wants to have their own OC to play against Kaiba, just review and tell me or e-mail me. Please say what type of deck you would like. I know nobody's going to pay attention to this part, but if anyone wants more information, I can provide anything you need! After all, I made the game!  
  
Information needed for OCs: Name (preferably not something like, say, Flaming_Dude676, a possible real name), deck type (one or two types), physical description, and personality description. Favorite card is optional, if you don't know any cards, don't bother. If you want to choose a deck type and you have no idea of which one to take, go to Welcome to Baka Games: Fun! Personality Quiz!!! and go to Section C. 


	9. Training

Seto Kaiba carefully walked down the streets, looking stolidly around at the friendly people. His hands were shoved in his pockets. His right hand fingered the box that held his Narpakgür cards.  
  
He stopped walking. A man across the street stood on a ladder, hanging decorations for Halloween. There was nobody supporting the ladder, keeping it from falling. The man was smiling, adjusting one particular decoration. Kaiba stared at him, noticing the ladder was about to give way.  
  
"Hey!" Kaiba shouted, running across the street, ignoring the angry drivers.  
  
As the ladder fell, the man suddenly realized what was happening. He grabbed onto the side of the roof, holding himself up. It was obvious he couldn't stay there long.  
  
"Help! Someone!"  
  
Kaiba ran up the driveway, grabbing the ladder. Deftly, he righted it next to the man. Kaiba climbed the ladder as fast as he could, disregarding the fact that if the ladder fell, they would both be trapped.  
  
"Hang on!" Kaiba replied.  
  
Kaiba reached the roof. Climbing onto it, he prepared to pull the man up. The man's left arm gave way, and he swung precariously.  
  
"Give me your hand!" Kaiba commanded calmly.  
  
The man raised his hand as high as he could. Kaiba cursed to himself, leaning dangerously far forward to try and grab it. As he caught his hand, he started to fall. Righting himself, he hauled the man upward.  
  
"Just a little farther," Kaiba groaned.  
  
The man fell forward, onto the roof. He sighed, realizing he was safe. He turned and looked at his savior, a well dressed young man with neat brown hair. The man smiled at him, extending his hand.  
  
"MacWilliams."  
  
"My name is Seto Kaiba," Kaiba took his hand and shook it, nodding slightly.  
  
The two climbed down, one at a time. Kaiba went first, then held the ladder for MacWilliams. MacWilliams thanked him again, brushed his hand against his brow, and returned to work.  
  
Kaiba went back to walking. He didn't notice the shadow behind him. The girl, a year older than he, followed him, watching his every move.  
  
Seto Kaiba stopped to look at a few kids. They were a couple years younger than him. They had Narpakgür cards. They were dueling. Apparently, there was no order to who dueled whom. They were sprawled out over the lawn, cards quickly being played, and then destroyed.  
  
A kid walked up to him, "Hey."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Kaiba."  
  
The kid nodded, "I'm Stephen."  
  
Kaiba nodded back, "These your friends?"  
  
"Yeah," Stephen explained, "you play?"  
  
Stephen held up a card. It was Flare Warrior, a miscellaneous type unit. A small star was placed on the bottom of the card.  
  
"What's the star mean?" Kaiba asked nonchalantly.  
  
"You must be new to the game," Stephen grinned, "A star means it's a personalized card. My Flare Warrior if the only Flare Warrior in existence, unless someone else has it as a personal card, but it wouldn't have the same stats or abilities."  
  
Seto nodded.  
  
"You play?" Stephen repeated.  
  
The girl following Seto Kaiba grinned as she saw him remove his deck. He sifted through it, then looked at Stephen, "Where do we duel?"  
  
Stephen smiled again, "I can tell by the way you look you don't want to lie on the grass with the rest of us. We have a table in the backyard, follow me."  
  
The girl brushed a wisp of purple hair from her eyes as she trailed the two into the backyard. She hopped the fence, rather than open the door, so they didn't hear her.  
  
"Alright," she heard Stephen say, "you know the rules, right? We each start with eight cards, you can go first."  
  
Seto nodded, shuffling his deck. Stephen did the same, smiling broadly. They each drew eight cards.  
  
"Okay, so now we play our lead-off units?" Seto asked.  
  
Author's Note: a lead-off unit is a unit played at the start of a game or between turns when you have no units in play. Lead-off units are played face-down, then flipped when your opponent has a lead-off unit ready, too.  
  
Stephen nodded and played his. Seto played his, also. They flipped. Stephen revealed a Scorpion, a level three type none unit. Kaiba had a Paladin Apprentice, a level two swordsman.  
  
Seto drew. He looked at his hand. He had a Tsetch, a level four. He also had a level four sword. Together, he could take out that Scorpion right away.  
  
'But is that how this game is played?' Seto thought, 'Should I kill things quickly, or draw it out, hoping for him to slip up?'  
  
Seto decided to see how Stephen played. He played an obvious card, Faith, which made him draw five cards in three turns. Then he ended his turn.  
  
Stephen drew. He played another Scorpion. He destroyed Seto's Paladin Apprentice and finished his turn.  
  
Seto gritted his teeth. Throwing down his Tsetch, he drew a card. He read the top of the card, "Vengeance". "Draw cards equal to the amount of units in your discard pile".  
  
'Hmm,' Seto Kaiba thought, 'this will help later.'  
  
He added it to his hand and equipped his Tsetch with a weapon. His Tsetch attacked one of the Scorpions, destroying it.  
  
"I end my turn, Stephen," Kaiba spat.  
  
Stephen drew. Smiling, he placed a single card on the table.  
  
"Defenseless Mage", "10HP, can do 120 Damage per turn."  
  
Stephen played "Allies", to draw 3 cards. He then attacked the Tsetch, ending his turn.  
  
"Draw, Kaiba," Stephen grinned, "I'll let you draw before playing your lead- off unit."  
  
Kaiba looked at his hand, he had no units. Stephen allowed him to stay in the game. But he couldn't have known he didn't have any units, it must've been a guess. Seto glared across the table and drew a card, immediately playing it.  
  
"I bring out my Legionnaire!" Seto shouted, playing his Thesman card.  
  
Equipping his Legionnaire with a level three sword, it destroyed the Defenseless Mage. Stephen's eyes glimmered as Seto Kaiba ended his turn.  
  
"That's all?" Stephen mocked, "I would've expected more."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Seto sneered, "My Legionnaire's more powerful than anything you've played!"  
  
"Power isn't everything."  
  
Stephen placed one card on the table. "Haltsee". "Both sides discard their highest leveled units in play".  
  
Stephen shrugged as he placed his Scorpion in his discard pile. He patiently awaited Seto's reaction. Seto merely narrowed his eyes, discarding his Legionnaire. Stephen played a Gnome Dragon and ended his turn.  
  
Kaiba bit his lip. He had nothing to save himself. Staring at his hand, he tried to find something to save himself.  
  
"I'm waiting, Seto Kaiba," Stephen smirked.  
  
Kaiba lifted one card from his hand, placing it on the field. "Retreat". "You may have no units in play for one turn". He then drew, adding the card to his hand.  
  
'Ah,' Seto thought, 'I'm saved, at least, until next turn.'  
  
The card was a Paladin, a level 7 card. Seto grimaced as he ended his turn.  
  
Stephen drew, adding the card to his hand. Having nothing to attack, he ended his turn.  
  
"Alright, Seto, this is it," Stephen laughed.  
  
"No it isn't," Kaiba answered.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"It's been three turns," Seto grinned, "I draw five cards from Faith."  
  
Seto drew his five. Unfortunately, there were no units. He played his Paladin and drew to start his turn. The card was a Fields of Phateris, which recovered the HP of all units in play. He sighed, removing Vengeance from his hand. Playing it, he drew 3 more cards.  
  
"Sword of the Forgotten Arts", "Fairy Mail", and "King's Ransom".  
  
Seto laughed out loud, playing King's Ransom. He drew 20 cards. Sifting through them, he grinned. Now all he had to do was destroy all the units Stephen played, and he would be in the clear!  
  
"I equip my Paladin with Sword of the Forgotten Arts and it attacks your Gnome Dragon, destroying it!" Seto declared.  
  
Stephen nodded, placing the Gnome Dragon carefully in the discard pile. He then played a Flare Warrior, his personal card, and drew.  
  
"I'm afraid this is game," Stephen grinned, "unless you have a Hallucination or Tranquility card in your hand."  
  
Stephen played his card, "Price of Greed". It allowed Stephen to either draw double the amount Kaiba drew last turn, or have Kaiba discard double. Stephen chose discard, making Kaiba discard his hand. All that was left was a single Paladin against the Flare Warrior. Stephen equipped Flare Warrior with Flame Kahriemourie, making it powerful enough to destroy the Paladin.  
  
"Game over, Kaiba," Stephen smiled, extending his hand, "you lose."  
  
Kaiba shook his hand solemnly. He picked up his deck and turned to leave. When he turned around, he faced a girl. She looked slightly older than he. She had black hair with a single strand of purple. She wore a trench coat, black, with a white tank-top beneath it. She also wore baggy black pants. She was smiling, even if she seemed slightly menacing after Seto's crushing defeat.  
  
"Who are you?" Kaiba asked coldly.  
  
"Me?" the girl asked in a friendly tone.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I am Yasumi Shiroko. You are Seto Kaiba, are you not?" she greeted, "You saved that man on the roof. But more importantly, you play Narpakgür."  
  
"More importantly?" Seto raised an eyebrow.  
  
Yasumi's hand flew forward, pointing straight at Kaiba, "Seto Kaiba, I challenge you to a duel!"  
  
Seto's eyebrow stayed put, "That's all?"  
  
"No," Yasumi grinned, "we each wager a card."  
  
"What are you wagering?" Kaiba asked.  
  
"I'll put up my Dragon of Dark Lore," Yasumi smiled, knowing Kaiba couldn't resist a shot at a dragon, not to mention a powerful one.  
  
Seto's heart jumped, "Fine, I'll put up my Vengeance card."  
  
"Alright," Yasumi smirked, "Let's duel."  
  
~  
  
Bakura walked down the street, alone. The cold wind chilled his neck. Pulling his coat closer about himself, he proceeded down the street. Shinobu had to go home, and he needed some time to think. He hadn't talked to his friend Tristan in a while, maybe he would visit him. He lived down here, quite near the large corporations.  
  
'It's a nice neighborhood,' Bakura thought, 'Maybe I'll come here more often.'  
  
Bakura stopped walking, hearing kids yelling.  
  
"Hey!" one yelled.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You know that Narpakgür duelist. . .what's her name? Yasumi?"  
  
"Yasumi Shiroko? The really good one?"  
  
"Yeah, her!"  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"She's dueling some new guy, I think his name's Kaiba!"  
  
"Ha! He doesn't stand a chance against Yasumi Shiroko!"  
  
'Kaiba?' Bakura thought to himself, 'I didn't know he played Narpakgür. . .'  
  
And so Bakura ran after the kids, but being sure they didn't notice him. He didn't want them to think he was stalking them or anything, just trying to find Kaiba.  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: I know most people won't like this chapter, but then again, most people don't read my fic. Did I get Yasumi right, Alyee? I tried to make her seem like the best duelist around, after all, you're the best reviewer around! 


	10. Wagers

Kaiba stood facing Yasumi. He had shuffled his deck, as had she. She drew eight cards. Being the good-natured person she was, she allowed Seto Kaiba to go first. She merely played her Rogue and shrugged.  
  
"Go," she smiled sweetly.  
  
Kaiba thought carefully, 'I knew Yasumi was good, the many spectators standing around staring the Rogue (despite it's only a level two card with 40 HP) display that. I can't let my guard down.'  
  
Kaiba played a Legionnaire, then drew to start his turn. He looked down at his hand. He had a Sabre, Nexus, Squire, Amateur Swordsman, Warrior's Mail, Thieves, Ambush, and Enchanted Blade. He played Thieves, letting him draw two cards from the bottom of his deck. He drew Sword of the Forgotten Arts and Dirk. He equipped his Legionnaire with Sabre, attacking the Rogue and destroying it.  
  
Yasumi continued to smile, playing a Pickpocket. She drew, equipping Pickpocket with Throwing Knives, it attacked, dealing 30 damage to the Legionnaire, which now had 40 HP left.  
  
Kaiba drew, not realizing his danger. He attacked, destroying Pickpocket. Yasumi stared at him, a small smile slithering across her face.  
  
"What?" Kaiba asked.  
  
Yasumi grinned, "After I attack using Thieving, the attack I used, and Pickpocket is discarded the following turn, my opponent must discard half his hand."  
  
Kaiba was taken aback. He searched his hand for his weakest cards, eventually throwing his Squire, Enchanted Blade, Warrior's Mail, and Ambush. He sighed, ending his turn.  
  
She played a card face-down. Kaiba looked at her expectantly.  
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
"Why is that card face-down?"  
  
"It's the effect of the card. It may be played face-down. All cards attached to this, such as this one," she played another card face-down, slightly overlapping the first card, "are also face-down."  
  
"But I don't know anything about the card!" Kaiba stated.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Kaiba gritted his teeth. Yasumi explained that her card attacked, doing 10 damage to Legionnaire and having her draw 2 cards, Kaiba discarding 1. Kaiba sifted through his hand, stopping on the one he had just drawn. It was a Magic Dummy. When it is discarded, the owner draws 5 cards. He showed the card to Yasumi, then drew another five cards.  
  
"Fine," Yasumi shrugged, "your turn."  
  
Kaiba drew. He added the card to his hand, then returned to the game.  
  
'I have no idea what that card is,' he thought, 'For all I know, it could be something that has damage received -100 or something like that. I'll have no idea when it's dead.'  
  
"I end my turn."  
  
Yasumi raised an eyebrow. She drew, her eyes not revealing anything. Kaiba hoped that card wouldn't be anything too powerful.  
  
'Let's see how long this takes,' Yasumi thought, "I end my turn."  
  
Kaiba drew, then ended his turn, his imagination conjuring various beasts the card might be.  
  
Yasumi drew, playing Allies, then ending her turn.  
  
This proceeded for a couple more turns. Yasumi played Day of Rising at one point, discarding a Warrior Specter to draw 2 cards, plus 3 more from the effect of Warrior Specter.  
  
"Kaiba!" a voice shouted.  
  
Kaiba turned, seeing Bakura. He was standing in the crowd. He was flushed, as if he had just been running. He waved back to Bakura, then looked at Yasumi once more.  
  
"Kaiba!" Bakura explained, "Yasumi is the best duelist around. She's only lost to three people, ever. Those people have been hailed as some of THE best duelist. She only lost to Keith Dervish, Toshiro Kisuyo, and Edward Cloverly! You can't waste time like this! You must destroy her cards as swiftly as possible!"  
  
Kaiba hadn't really been paying attention. He only heard the last sentence. He looked down at his hand. He hadn't been looking at the cards he was drawing, just the names. He had been too worried about her face-down card.  
  
"I attack with my Legionnaire!" he declared solidly.  
  
"Alright," Yasumi grinned, placing her Unknown Thief in her discard pile. She picked up her deck, looking through it.  
  
"What are you doing now?" Kaiba asked.  
  
"My thief's effect. I can search my deck for a card and add it to my hand. I then shuffle my deck," Yasumi replied happily.  
  
"Bakura, look what just happened!" Kaiba shouted, angry.  
  
"It would have died eventually, just focus on what she plays," Bakura reassured.  
  
Yasumi's eyes glimmered as she added the card to her hand. She then played her Tsetch Dagger-User. She drew to start her turn.  
  
"Are you ready, Kaiba?" Yasumi asked, attempting to provoke him.  
  
"Just play."  
  
She equipped her Tsetch Dagger-User with a Tsetch Dagger, raising its damage by 40. She then attacked, destroying the Legionnaire.  
  
~  
  
"Good afternoon, gentlemen."  
  
"Good afternoon to you, too."  
  
"Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
Lucan, local Good Samaritan, stood before three rather tall men dressed in suits.  
  
"Hey, Bruno," one whispered to the front suit, "Maybe we should just run at him."  
  
"Yeah, we haven't tried that," the second agreed.  
  
"No," Bruno hissed, "Jerome, Gary, we're in the middle of the street. We can't afford to attract any attention!"  
  
"Gentlemen?"  
  
They looked up. The masked man stared at them, arms crossed. His silver clothing waving in the wind. Bruno looked around. The streets were deserted. They stood on a sidewalk a few blocks from Baka Games and 24 Hop Mart.  
  
"I've got a better idea," Bruno replied to the thugs.  
  
He whipped out a small firearm. Gary and Jerome did the same. Lucan didn't flinch. It was hard to tell his expression behind the mask, but it was clear that he had remained calm.  
  
"Put down your toys," he commanded.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me," Lucan stated confidently.  
  
"A pretty bold thing to say for someone in your position," Jerome spat.  
  
"Fire if you must," Lucan continued, "but I do recall you were supposed to take me alive."  
  
"He's right, Bruno," Gary nodded.  
  
"I don't care!" Bruno shouted, "I've waited for this for too long! Fire!"  
  
All three of them shot. Lucan shot to the side, somersaulted, then leapt onto a bar supporting an awning. Bruno continued to fire, though the other two stared in horror as Lucan dumped an awning full of cold rainwater on them.  
  
"Gaa!" Jerome shouted, Gary opened his mouth, but couldn't scream. Bruno just glared at Lucan.  
  
Lucan removed a small object from a pocket of his vest. He held it in the air for a moment before dropping it onto the ground. The smoke-bomb exploded upon contact with the ground, and the three men shielded their eyes. When the smoke had cleared, he was gone.  
  
~  
  
"I play Elven Guard. I equip it with Calgorine Blade. Elven Guard attacks your Warrior of Light, destroying it!" Kaiba declared.  
  
Yasumi moved her Warrior of Light to her discard pile, then played her next unit, "I play Black Sorceress of Power!"  
  
Bakura stared in awe at Yasumi's personal card. It had 230 HP and 400 MP. Despite what the name implied, it was a Dagger-user. She then equipped it with a Dagger of Darkness, its matching weapon. It then attacked Kaiba's Elven Guard.  
  
Kaiba looked at his hand. He only had one unit left, Hatecraft. The card was a level 0, which was good. He played it, then equipped it with Sun's Darkness, a level 0 weapon. It attacked, doing 130 damage to Black Sorceress of Power. It remained alive, but it didn't have enough power to destroy Hatecraft in one attack anyway.  
  
Yasumi drew a card. She smiled. She then lay it on the table. It was called Commander of the Army. It made her Black Sorceress of Power's damage given +50. It was now able to defeat Hatecraft.  
  
"I attack."  
  
Kaiba sighed. Yasumi then grinned, realizing her opponent could no longer play. He handed her the card, Vengeance, then stood to leave.  
  
"Attention!" a voice called out.  
  
No body turned around to see who it was.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Ryou Bakura! Look over here!"  
  
'What could it be?' Bakura thought to himself, turning around.  
  
There stood Joey Wheeler, in his rubber suit. He was standing atop a large mechanical turtle, labeled Mecha Tama-chan 3. His Black Skull Dragon Medabot stood beside him, as did Shinobu. She was tied at the hands and knees. Her face was stricken with fear. Joey had his classic grin spread over his face.  
  
"Joey! What are you doing?" Bakura yelled.  
  
"Ryou Bakura, we will now Robattle! You win, Shinobu goes free, unharmed. But if you lose, then you will give your Medal to us, the Rubberrobo Gang! In addition to that, there is no telling what will become of your beloved Shinobu!"  
  
Bakura ran forward, stopping before the massive robot turtle. He stared into her eyes. They were sad, almost painful. He pressed the button on his Medawatch, bringing forth his White Seraph. Joey leapt down, landing about a meter away from Bakura.  
  
A single Narpakgür card lay on the ground. It suddenly burst open, Mr. Referee gasping for air.  
  
"I. . .now. . .declare. . .this. . .an. . .official. . .Robattle. . .between. . .Ryou. . .Bakura. . .and. . .Joey. . .Wheeler. . .of. . .the. . .Rubberrobo. . .Gang!" Mr. Referee took a moment to deeply inhale, "Medabots, Robattle!"  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: I am SO sorry for taking this long to write this chapter! Next time: Will Bakura save Shinobu, or will Joey take his Medal and his love away forever? 


	11. The End

Black Skull leapt forward, attacking White Seraph. The angel-type Medabot pulled its right wing before it, blocking the attack with its hard armor. Jumping high into the air, far above Black Skull, White Seraph shot several bullets from its rapid-fire right arm.  
  
Talons: 10% damage, Flare Cannon: 10% damage  
  
Black Skull turned, swinging its left arm at White Seraph. It tried to block, but was too slow, and stumbled backward. It fell to the ground, awaiting Black Skull's next attack.  
  
Halo: 50% damage  
  
The dragon walked up to the fallen Medabot. It raised both arms, preparing to strike. As they came crashing down, White Seraph lifted its legs, catching Black Skull and flipping it over. White Seraph jumped to its feet, firing from both its rifle and laser. Black Skull lay on the ground, barely scratched by the attacks.  
  
Claws: 20% damage  
  
Joey grinned. Black Skull stood once more, charging at White Seraph. White Seraph brought its wings before it, blocking the hit and taking most of the damage. At the same time, it was being pushed back. The two Medabots skidded a fair ways before stopping.  
  
Caution: 15% Damage, Light: 10% Damage  
  
White Seraph leapt back, beginning to fly. It hovered above Black Skull, shooting lasers. The Medabot lunged back and forth, trying to dodge. It was hit a couple times, but few shots penetrated the thick armor.  
  
Talons: 15% Damage  
  
"Black Skull, use your head!" Joey commanded.  
  
Black Skull reared its head. Flames spewed from its mouth. White Seraph could only drop to the ground to dodge the attack. Black Skull then ran forward, throwing an onslaught of attacks. White Seraph spun to the side, clipping Black Skull in the head with a direct hit.  
  
Flare Cannon: 30% Damage  
  
"Only 20 percent damage from a direct hit. . ." Bakura breathed.  
  
"Black Skull," Joey smirked, "Flare Fire Blast!"  
  
"Try and block it, White Seraph!" Bakura shouted desperately.  
  
The flames singed White Seraph badly. Its wings failed it, and it took much damage to its legs.  
  
Caution: 40% Damage, Light: 30% Damage, Kicker: 60% Damage, danger  
  
Black Skull ran toward it once more, trying to catch White Seraph off guard. As Black Skull approached the angel, it jumped forward. Its mouth opened, its jaw coming dangerously close to White Seraph. Just as it came in range, White Seraph's arms flung themselves inward, wings crashing upon Black Skull's head part. The dragon wobbled away, allowing White Seraph to fire freely at its opponent, hitting it several times.  
  
Flare Cannon: 80% Damage, high damage, Talons: 40% damage  
  
"What?" Joey shouted.  
  
"Hmm?" Bakura looked up at him.  
  
"You never said anything!" Joey gawked, "Your Medabot knew exactly what to do!"  
  
"Do you know why?" Bakura asked, "So many people go for powerful Medabots. The quick ones can dodge almost anything. There are some powerful Medabots that can still hit the faster ones. That's why White Seraph and I devised a counter maneuver."  
  
Joey grumbled under his breath, "Counter this. . .Black Skull! Attack!"  
  
Black Skull leapt forward, high into the sky. White Seraph shot blindly into the sun, trying to strike its target. All the spectators stared in awe. Bakura merely bit his lip. Joey's grin spread wider and wider. Shinobu's eyes reflected her fear.  
  
The dragon came crashing down, atop White Seraph. The angel tried to dodge, but could not. So Black Skull lay on top of White Seraph, who had collapsed.  
  
Halo: 90% damage, overload imminent, Kicker: 80% damage, danger  
  
White Seraph somehow managed to roll onto its back. It now faced Black Skull straight in the eyes.  
  
"White Seraph," Bakura stated into his Medawatch, "Finish him!"  
  
"Eh? You think you can do that?" Joey taunted.  
  
White Seraph raised its left arm, the laser. It pointed it directly between Black Skull's eyes. It fired.  
  
Flare Cannon: 100% damage, function ceased  
  
"What? No," Joey muttered, falling to his knees, "NO!"  
  
Bakura jumped onto the giant robot turtle, running to Shinobu. He stopped right before her, not saying a word. Their eyes met. Her eyes were misty, as if lost in a dream. His eyes were soft, but also still blazing from his Robattle with Joey. After a moment had passes, Shinobu fell forward, embracing Bakura. She closed her eyes. He put his arms around her, smiling.  
  
Feeling his arms, she looked up. Seeing his eyes once more, she leaned forward. Their lips slowly pressed against one another. Shinobu placed a hand on Bakura's cheek. Soon, they broke the kiss. The continued to stare into each other's eyes, both blushing.  
  
"Shinobu," Bakura breathed, "I. . .I love you."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
~  
  
"Halt!" a voice shouted.  
  
Joey turned around. Before him stood a man dressed entirely in silver clothes. His hair was white, and looked much like Edward Cloverly's, but his was dark brown.  
  
"Who are you?" Joey asked.  
  
"My name is Lucan. I have come to stop you," the man explained, "You are a threat to us all. You should be stopped, as should the rest of the Rubberrobo Gang."  
  
"Eep."  
  
Joey turned and started running, Lucan chasing him. He dashed out of the yard, pushing open the fence door as he ran. He stopped as he reached the other side, a man in his way.  
  
"Joey Wheeler, we meet again," Spike grinned, removing a pistol and taking aim.  
  
"Eep."  
  
"Hey," Lucan called to Spike, "Truce, we split the reward."  
  
Spike nodded. Lucan smiled inwardly, for he wasn't even after the bounty in the first place. Some extra cash could still help, though. Spike took a few steps forward, flinging his leg upward, kicking Joey in the jaw.  
  
"Ow. . ." Joey moaned as he collapsed.  
  
~  
  
Yasumi stood before Kaiba, "Well, I guess you did pretty well."  
  
Kaiba was silent. His eyes were closed. His face was bent into a bitter frown.  
  
"Come on, Kaiba," Yasumi started, "Here, I'll even give you this."  
  
Yasumi handed a surprised Kaiba a card. He stared down, the text flashing in the midday sun.  
  
Dragon of Dark Lore  
  
"Th-Thank you. . ." Kaiba murmured.  
  
~  
  
Joey was now out of his rubber suit, once and for all. He was happy to be back in his green jacket and jeans. He sat in his room, lying on his bed and music blaring through his headphones, which were on the floor. He grinned, snapping the yellow antennae in his hand.  
  
He sighed, looking over at his Red Eyes. Its Medal sat on a table beside it. His view shifted slightly, looking at a picture of his sister, Serenity. He then jumped, hearing the phone. He grabbed the cordless lying beside him and pressed the button.  
  
"Yeah, this is Joey," he said.  
  
"Big brother?"  
  
"Serenity?"  
  
"Hi!"  
  
"How are you doing?" Joey asked quietly.  
  
"Well, and you?"  
  
"Who cares about me," Joey sat up, "How did the operation go?"  
  
"Great! I'm coming to visit soon!" Serenity chimed over the phone, "Oh, I have to go. I'll see you soon!"  
  
Click  
  
Joey dropped the phone. He looked out the window. Serenity was coming.  
  
***The End***  
  
~  
  
Author's Note: Okay, that ending was a little weird. Weird is good. . .  
  
Author's Other Note: I am planning a sequel to this and Duelist Kingdom. It currently has no name. My friend thinks it should be called "Stay in School, 'cuz it is Gnarly". Anyway, it will tie in both story-lines. See you later! 


End file.
